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Study: Flu shots not very effective for the elderly

Infection Control Monitor, September 23, 2005

Flu shots are not as effective in the elderly as long believed, according to a recent study.

The Cochrane Review Group compiled 40 years of research and found that flu shots are effective only 28% of the time when given to people over age 65.

However, the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention still recommend that the elderly get the shots.

Researchers used the results of 64 studies and concluded that the flu shots reduced the chance of an elderly person ending up in a hospital with influenza or pneumonia by 28%. But the numbers appear better with elderly people living in nursing homes, due to constant supervision of nursing home staff who can easily test for an influenza infection.

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